I do believe the closng of this site plays right into the watchtower's hands. There is a wealth of information on this site. There is some support.
If Simon can't continue it, can't someone else who has nothing to lose or expose take it over?
reneef
JoinedPosts by reneef
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13
It seems I was right all along.
by searcher inover the years i have posted many times, in many places that i was convinced there is an element working for the gb to chase posters away from ex jw sites by making life uncomfortable for them, even to get sites themselves to close down.. having seen many posters leave various sites, most of the sites give up and close down, it seems they are winning.. now this one, the premier site, is closing.. .
so sad..
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For mkr32208- CNN Money, US News
by reneef inthis is still going on and the date for the next boycott is set.
http://money.cnn.com/2008/02/07/smbusiness/ebay_boycott.fsb/.
(fortune small business) -- ever since ebay (ebay, fortune 500) announced changes to its feedback rules and fee structure last week, sellers have been irate, exploding onto message boards and blogs with discussions about how the new policies will affect their businesses.
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reneef
That is all I have to share about this. I am too busy right now trying to organize and protect my livlihood. Those that are inqusitive or caring enough will seek the information and support whatever they feel is fair and just.
http://www.usnews.com/articles/business/2008/02/11/boycotting-ebay-here-are-three-alternatives.htmlBoycotting eBay? Here Are Three Alternatives
Users protesting fee changes need not stop selling altogether
By Kimberly Palmer Posted February 11, 2008After eBay announced pricing changes that translate into higher fees for items that sell but lower fees for those that don't, heavy users of the site quickly expressed their frustration.
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"The [commission on sales] went up, way up. The five cents I will save on listing, which I pay whether the item sells or not, is not going to help at all," says Ann Harper, who sells 10 to 25 items per week from her home in Abbot Village, Maine. The changes also include getting rid of negative feedback for buyers, which sellers say creates an unfair, one-way relationship between buyers and sellers. Harper is participating in this week's boycott of the site, which sellers have organized to protest the changes.
But even those joining in the boycott need not lock up their (virtual) shops. "People are making sales on the alternative sites," says Bob Lee, founder of Power Sellers Unite. Here are three popular online alternatives and their fee structures:
1) Amazon Marketplace lets sellers list items that are already for sale through the website, such as books, DVDs, and household items. The fact that most items are already listed makes it easier for sellers, because they don't need to take their own photos or enter their own product descriptions. Amazon charges no fees unless products sell. Commission and closing fees vary by item. Books, for example, carry a 15 percent commission rate plus $2.35 in other fees.
Best for: casual sellers looking to unload old CD collections or slightly used books.2) Bidville attracts all kinds of sellers, from those selling vintage Beanie Babies to cars to jewelry. It charges no listing fee for unsuccessful sales, and sellers pay 5 percent on items under $25 and between 1 and 2.5 percent on more expensive items, plus a low flat fee. Overstock Auctions offers a similar interface and fee structure.
Best for: sellers seeking an eBay-like experience.3) Etsy.com features handmade products, including bath products, earrings, sweaters, and woodwork. Pomegranate soap goes for $4, and a pink and brown vintage apron for $24. Etsy.com charges 20 cents to list an item and a 3.5 percent flat sales fee, which means a $20 item will carry a 90 cent fee, excluding shipping costs.
Best for: crafty individuals looking to make money from their creations.Tags:online shopping | eBay
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For mkr32208- CNN Money, US News
by reneef inthis is still going on and the date for the next boycott is set.
http://money.cnn.com/2008/02/07/smbusiness/ebay_boycott.fsb/.
(fortune small business) -- ever since ebay (ebay, fortune 500) announced changes to its feedback rules and fee structure last week, sellers have been irate, exploding onto message boards and blogs with discussions about how the new policies will affect their businesses.
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reneef
This is still going on and the date for the next boycott is set.
http://money.cnn.com/2008/02/07/smbusiness/ebay_boycott.fsb/
(FORTUNE Small Business) -- Ever since eBay (EBAY, Fortune 500) announced changes to its feedback rules and fee structure last week, sellers have been irate, exploding onto message boards and blogs with discussions about how the new policies will affect their businesses. But when the idea of a strike was floated, some sellers and buyers decided to get more organized about expressing their displeasure.
A discussion thread on eBay's own forums with the title "Sign the pledge_no sales Feb 18-25!" has received 4,000 posts in nine days, many expressing members' intentions to join the boycott. The strike is scheduled to overlap eBay's planned Feb. 20 launch date for its new policies, which include fee hikes, a 21-day hold on some funds sent through its PayPal payment service, and disallowing sellers from leaving negative feedback for their buyers.
Facebook and MySpace pages dedicated to the strike are circulating, along with an online petition, and a mailing list called the Online Seller Cyber Union has gathered more than 700 emails in a week. A YouTube video on Google (GOOG, Fortune 500) entitled "Feb 18-25th 2008: Worldwide Ebay Strike" has racked up more than 16,000 views since Saturday.
"It's like a rallying cry for other sellers," said Valerie Lennert, creator of the YouTube video. "It was another way of letting people know that they were not alone. My inbox is overflowing with people that are ticked off."
Past boycotts fizzled
EBay boycott attempts are hardly a new phenomenon. The eBay community has always been stridently vocal about the fee and policy changes that the company introduces nearly every January, and previous seller strikes, such as one protesting eBay's 2006 fee hikes, were largely ineffective.
"We've seen a lot of these. They haven't really changed eBay's mind before," said David Steiner, president of AuctionBytes, a trade publication for online merchants that has followed the online auction industry since 1999. "But this is a pretty severe one. People are much angrier than last year."
EBay says it's unworried by the rebellious rhetoric.
"We have a passionate community, and we are not surprised to hear them voicing concern," eBay spokesman Usher Lieberman said via e-mail. "However, when our sellers have had ample opportunity to evaluate the entire package we now offer and consider the traffic and trading velocity we deliver every day, we are confident that they will conclude eBay remains their best business partner."
Nonetheless, support for the planned strike later this month seems to be snowballing. Some sellers see it as their last resort for protesting changes more drastic than any eBay has previously unleashed.
Joe Hackney of Sadetha, Kan., has run a business selling used motorcycle parts through eBay auctions since 2002. His decision to take part in the boycott means losing a week of business: about $6,500 in gross sales, plus the cost of wages for two employees who will be sent home on paid leave.
If the action is successful in persuading eBay to change its new rules, Hackney thinks it'll be worth it. Otherwise, he expects the new fees to cost him an extra $4,000 a year, an expense he says he has no choice but to pay.
"I'm scared because there isn't anywhere else to go," he said. "I've looked at other sites and there's no one there."
Other upset sellers are hoping to colonize new sites with a fresh influx of fleeing eBay merchants.
Joyce Wilson of Marion, Ohio, makes scrapbooks and sells them on eBay through auctions and a storefront. She plans to boycott eBay, but she's also already moving her products to Etsy.com, an online store for handmade items. She knows that she won't get as much traffic as she does now, but she's confident that she can start bringing some of her eBay customers to the new site.
"I'm in the process of looking into other options," she said. "But I'm going to see what eBay's reaction is. It's up to their reaction whether I stay or not."
YouTube videomaker Lennert, who has also been handing out boycott fliers at her local post office in Anaheim, Calif., feels she has no choice but to protest and hope eBay takes note. Last month, she quit her job as a social worker to instead sell doll clothing on eBay full-time. Less than a week later, the fee changes were announced, and Lennert realized that they would put too much pressure on her bottom line.
"Now I'm interviewing for another job because I don't think I can pull it together enough to make a profit on eBay," she said. She plans to boycott eBay both as a seller and as a buyer.
"That's it. No more, until something is done about these changes," she said.
Next page: Pro sellers skipping eBay strike -
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boycott Ebay due to their bad policies
by reneef ini don't know if anyone else here buys or sells on ebay.
i'm thiking some do.
ebay has announced dramatic new policy changes to begin in may 2008 which spell disaster for many honest and ethical sellers and buyers such as myself who have given their blood, sweat and tears to make ebay what it is today.
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reneef
Hey mkr do you work for Ebay or something? I don't understand why you are calling my integrity into question as if I would SPAM this site with a hoax or erroneous information.
I have made my living selling on Ebay for the past three years. Just as I share the info about jws and other things I believe it, I would like this information to be investigated by anyone giving a rip about that. The subject can be googled and a lot of information is out there. just because I did not even think to come here with information till now does not mean it is not relevant. This subject may not interest you or have any application to your life, but it is a means of work to many other people. Other people and what they may feel, now that's a thought....
If you don't give a rip, why don't you stop acting like a taunting little child and find something productive to read. Why not bother to look it up before belittling my posts. Better yet, go to a joke site where someone may just think you are as funny as you find yourself. Or maybe a flame site where you can further hone your "skills" of making an ass out of other posters.........
http://forums.delphiforums.com/n/main.asp?webtag=boycottebay&nav=start&prettyurl=%2Fboycottebay
Why Boycott Ebay?GRIEVENCES: 1. Feedback changes.
The proposed changes are more harmful than beneficial:
A. Sellers will no longer be allowed to leave negative feedback.
B. Feedback older than 12 months will no longer be displayed.
2. DSR (Detailed Seller Ratings) tied to search positioning.
A. Ebay is unjustly red-flagging good sellers as bad sellers, by stating sellers with a 4.0 rating (On a scale of 1-5) as having "low ratings", implying they are bad.
B. Ebay would rather keep real bad sellers, because they earn money.
3. 21 Day Hold for PayPal Payments on "Risky" sellers, or listing in "Risky categories".
What is considered "Risky"?
A. Sellers with less than 100 feedback.
B. Video Games is considered a "risky category". Even well established sellers selling in this and other "risky" categories will be subjected to a 21 day hold.
C. Sellers with 5% negatives in a 30 day period. (Extenuating circumstances? Tough luck. Unreasonable buyer demands? Tough luck. Shipping service errors? Too bad).
4. Unreasonable Fee increases.
A. Promoted as Fee decreases, Ebay actually increased fees. While dropping most insertion fees by a nickel, they raised the Final Value Fees by as much as 66%
B. Reserve fees no longer refunded.
C. Store Final Value Fees increased to 12% on top of monthly fees, and listing fees.
D. Other fees increases of $20 and more.
MISSION
1. Unite members to strengthen ebay members.
2. Refrain from buying on ebay until ALL terms are met.
3. Refrain from selling on ebay until ALL terms are met.
4. Promoting sellers who sell on the member voted sites, by advertising the following alternate sites:
A. onlineauction.com
B. etsy.com (hand made items only)
C. ioffer.com
D. overstock.com/auctions
5. Stay committed to each other by purchasing from "refugees" (boycotting ebay sellers).
6. Join myspace.com/boycottebay the source of our direction.
TERMS:
1. Revamp the FB process, BUT, not in the way proposed. We WILL NOT be held hostage by extortionist members.
2. Use the DSR, but, don’t allow extortion by tying to how items are listed in the ebay search engine.
3. Immediate release of PayPal funds.
4. Restructuring the fees, to a REASONABLE rate.
5. John Donahoe’s resignation, if he refuses to meet our terms.Please join in the boycott!
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Has the Org gone witch-hunting those who are gone, but not Dfd?
by cyber-sista inhey it's been awhile since i've left--almost 5 years now!
i haven't visited this site for quite a while now.
i was never dfd, but i have little contact with anything to do with jws.
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reneef
What a horrible thing to do! Yes someone should sue them for the hospital expenses they brought on the eldely couple. I wonder if they really believe these kinds of tactics will bring people back to the jws.
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Due to the "eBAY Boycott" How Many Of You Will Be Shopping Elsewhere ...
by BBOARD ini for one will.
i operate a small time book selling business on amazon.com and nothing would make me happier than to see my competition's website (ebay/half) slow down ... even if for just a while .... what are your 2 cents?
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reneef
Why don't you grow up and quit making a jerk out of people who actually have or might want information. There are peope that depend on this for their living. That is why it's important. If you don't have anything intelligent to add or any information to share, why not go find something to do.
kwr: Here is one site about it:http://forums.delphiforums.com/n/main.asp?webtag=boycottebay&nav=start&prettyurl=%2Fboycottebay
Why Boycott Ebay?GRIEVENCES: 1. Feedback changes.
The proposed changes are more harmful than beneficial:
A. Sellers will no longer be allowed to leave negative feedback.
B. Feedback older than 12 months will no longer be displayed.
2. DSR (Detailed Seller Ratings) tied to search positioning.
A. Ebay is unjustly red-flagging good sellers as bad sellers, by stating sellers with a 4.0 rating (On a scale of 1-5) as having "low ratings", implying they are bad.
B. Ebay would rather keep real bad sellers, because they earn money.
3. 21 Day Hold for PayPal Payments on "Risky" sellers, or listing in "Risky categories".
What is considered "Risky"?
A. Sellers with less than 100 feedback.
B. Video Games is considered a "risky category". Even well established sellers selling in this and other "risky" categories will be subjected to a 21 day hold.
C. Sellers with 5% negatives in a 30 day period. (Extenuating circumstances? Tough luck. Unreasonable buyer demands? Tough luck. Shipping service errors? Too bad).
4. Unreasonable Fee increases.
A. Promoted as Fee decreases, Ebay actually increased fees. While dropping most insertion fees by a nickel, they raised the Final Value Fees by as much as 66%
B. Reserve fees no longer refunded.
C. Store Final Value Fees increased to 12% on top of monthly fees, and listing fees.
D. Other fees increases of $20 and more.
MISSION
1. Unite members to strengthen ebay members.
2. Refrain from buying on ebay until ALL terms are met.
3. Refrain from selling on ebay until ALL terms are met.
4. Promoting sellers who sell on the member voted sites, by advertising the following alternate sites:
A. onlineauction.com
B. etsy.com (hand made items only)
C. ioffer.com
D. overstock.com/auctions
5. Stay committed to each other by purchasing from "refugees" (boycotting ebay sellers).
6. Join myspace.com/boycottebay the source of our direction.
TERMS:
1. Revamp the FB process, BUT, not in the way proposed. We WILL NOT be held hostage by extortionist members.
2. Use the DSR, but, don’t allow extortion by tying to how items are listed in the ebay search engine.
3. Immediate release of PayPal funds.
4. Restructuring the fees, to a REASONABLE rate.
5. John Donahoe’s resignation, if he refuses to meet our terms.Please join in the boycott!
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Due to the "eBAY Boycott" How Many Of You Will Be Shopping Elsewhere ...
by BBOARD ini for one will.
i operate a small time book selling business on amazon.com and nothing would make me happier than to see my competition's website (ebay/half) slow down ... even if for just a while .... what are your 2 cents?
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reneef
If you don't care, just say so.
If you'd care to educate yourself, go to "my ebay", go to the gray box in the upper right corner and click on "community", then click on "discussion boards, about half way down the page. Then click on "feedback", "Pay Pal" or one of the other boards to do with selling to read what has been going on. How can a person decide something is not legit before even checking anything out?
I'd now love to see the arrogant Ebay get some real competition by some big internet company that has the funds to advertise and get the word out. I also have sold books on Amazon.com and had no problem. I wish Amazon would give Ebay some healthy competition by starting a big auction site.
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boycott Ebay due to their bad policies
by reneef ini don't know if anyone else here buys or sells on ebay.
i'm thiking some do.
ebay has announced dramatic new policy changes to begin in may 2008 which spell disaster for many honest and ethical sellers and buyers such as myself who have given their blood, sweat and tears to make ebay what it is today.
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reneef
If you look at most sellers you can see almost none with 5 stars or even a 4.5 out of 5 on every aspect of their sales. Buyers now rate you from one to five stars on communication, shipping costs, shipping time, etc. I have had buyers give me less than 5 stars when i shipped the stuff before their check cleared! I only charge exact postage and I have had them give me less than 5 because the post office charged so much! I happen to get bubble wrap free, but other sellers are now expected to purchase packing materials and provide them for free? You have to read about these DSR's (detailed seller ratings) to understand how Ebay will find this excuse of a technicality to hold your money if you are paid by Pay Pal. There have been posts on the message boards of Ebay putting a grey baloon over the 5th star and making it more difficult to even hit the 5th star. Ebay is playing tricks to put the squeeze on especially the small sellers. http://forums.ebay.com/db2/thread.jspa?threadID=1000638148&tstart=0&mod=1204924624236 Your payments WILL BE NOT HELD if you meet all the following requirements:
- eBay Tenure: Greater than 6-months
- Total Feedback score: More than 100
- Dissatisfied Buyers %: Less than 5%
- Detailed Seller Rating: Greater than 4.5
- Total Detailed Seller Ratings Recieved: More than 20 in the last 12-months
2) Does the total feedback score include feedback received as a buyer?
3) In some places of the FAQ page it states the 5% buyer dissatisfaction figure is based on the last 30 days... in other places, such as FAQ #30 quoted above, there is no mention of a 30 day period. Is the buyer dissatisfaction percentage always calculated based on the last 30 days?
4) If a seller receives only about 10 feedbacks per month, will one negative feedback received give that seller a 10% buyer dissatisfaction rating?
5) How is the Detailed Seller Rating calculated? Is it an average of all 4 rating categories or is it the lowest of the 4 ratings? -
37
boycott Ebay due to their bad policies
by reneef ini don't know if anyone else here buys or sells on ebay.
i'm thiking some do.
ebay has announced dramatic new policy changes to begin in may 2008 which spell disaster for many honest and ethical sellers and buyers such as myself who have given their blood, sweat and tears to make ebay what it is today.
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reneef
Of course Ebay had their reasons. The economy downturn is probably making sales go down. Those guys at the top still need their bonus you know! The stockholders must see numbers go up.
Somehow I sent a blank email. The pink thing was an announcment by a boycott organizer, not written by me. I thought they did a more concise job of explaining it than I could. I am sure they are not English teachers though, just upset sellers that are organizing and searching for alternative auction sites. This has been on CNN, Reuter's & the New York Times. The attention and first boycott was in Feb.
They are making it so that sellers cannot give buyers feedback, only buyers can give sellers feedback. That means if a crook wants to jack you up for your stuff and not pay you, you have no recourse. They are pretending to lower fees by now making that little picture called a gallery picture free. They are jacking up their cut of the final sale at the end. They have upped the percent they get of your final sale.
More information can be found on Ebay's own discussion boards. At times Ebay personell remove threads, especially if they contain links. But there are pages and pages of upset sellers posting on there. Just go to their discussion boards & see the upset sellers and read the horror stories about people being ripped off while they were still able to give buyers feedback.
There are alternative auction sites such as ioffer, bidville and ecrater that a mass movement of people are considering. More info can be found at the Delphi forms board. I personally hope someone like yahoo or Amazon swoops in & competes. They have the money to advertise.
Ebay spin doctors try to spin things to look as if they are cutting seller fees, but they are tacking them on at the end.
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Do U Look Down On People Who Remain As JWs ..1's u think should no better?
by minimus indo you find yourself looking down on people who you think should know better but still hang on to the religion?
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reneef
I feel very sorry for the children. They did not choose this way of life and they suffer because of it.